Articles by Katia Dmitrieva

Jobless Ranks May Be Inflated by Millions of Gig Workers

The hardest people to pin down in America’s labor market may be the gig workers: How many hours do they put in, where, and just how many are out there? The Labor Department, in a report Wednesday, said there are …

Gig Worker Population Not as Big as Expected. Maybe.

The share of American workers in the “gig economy” has shrunk since 2005, according to a government report that some data-watchers cautioned omits key parts of the picture. The Labor Department on Thursday said that 10.1 percent of American employees …

Canada Pension Fund to Commit $1B to Fairfax’s Deal with Allied: Sources

Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. is close to announcing a deal that would see one of Canada’s largest pension funds contribute $1 billion in financing toward its acquisition of insurer Allied World Assurance Co., according to people familiar with …

Fairfax in Talks with OMERS to Help Finance $4.9B Allied World Takeover: Source

Prem Watsa’s Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. is in talks with the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) to see if the pension fund will help finance his $4.9 billion takeover of Allied World Assurance Co., according to a person familiar …

Fairfax Plans to Raise $1 Billion in IPO for Fund to Make Africa Investments

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., the Canadian insurer that made its largest acquisition last week, is selling shares in an initial public offering for a fund that will make investments in Africa. The company is seeking to raise as much as …

Canada’s Fairfax to Buy Switzerland’s Allied World for $4.9B in Cash, Stock

Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., the Canadian investment and insurance company, agreed to buy Allied World Assurance Co. for $4.9 billion in cash and stock in Chief Executive Officer Prem Watsa’s biggest purchase. Fairfax will pay $54 per share, which is …

China’s Anbang Insurance Set to Buy Toronto Tower for at Least $395M: Source

China’s Anbang Insurance Group Co. is set to purchase an office and retail tower in downtown Toronto that counts the Government of Ontario as a major tenant, according to people familiar with the deal. Anbang is close to an agreement …

Alberta Wildfires to Cost Insurers About $2.8B, in Canada’s Costliest Disaster

The wildfires that tore across the oil-producing region of Canada this year will cost insurers about C$3.58 billion ($2.8 billion) in claims, the most costly insured natural disaster in the country’s history, an industry group said. The fires led to …

Alberta Wildfires Spare Almost 90% of Fort McMurray, Canada’s Energy Hub

The massive wildfires that swept through Canada’s energy hub of Fort McMurray left almost 90 percent of the city intact, including most of the downtown core, while completely leveling some neighborhoods. “This city was surrounded by an ocean of fire …

Canada’s Economical Insurance Moves Closer to Becoming Public Company

Economical Insurance, one of Canada’s largest property and casualty insurers, moved closer to becoming a public company after its board voted to demutualize. The 10-member board of directors recommended it convert to a shareholder-owned company from one owned by its …